AN AMUSING SCENE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7002, 26 April 1884, Page 2 (Supplement)

AN AMUSING SCENE.

An amusing scene (says the London Figaro) occurred at the Opera House in Antwerp. The "Huguenots" was performed. As is generally the case, a number of soldiers were employed a3 supers in guise of courtiers, priests, monks, &o. The stage manager, a Frenchman from Martinique, who could not for the life of him pronounce the letter " r," had initiated the soldiers as to what they had to do. He was to call to them from the wing, when, they were to leave the stage at the end of the fourth act. All went well up to that point. But at the finale of the benidiction of the swords the stage manager's voice was heard, "Sotez." The soldiers, mostly simple country bumpkins, mistaking the word for " sautez, " stared at the strange command,' bu\ did not move. "Sotez done!" cried the "manager again. At this one of 'the fellows timidly raised his foot. The others, seeing the action, followed suit in a moment. There was a regular shuffling and jiggling about. "Sotez, sotez, dono!" screamed the manager, beside him with rage. The supers now entirely lost their heads, and sprung about like mad ; the solemn, earnest band of holy monks and grave courtiers of a moment back were transformed into so many jumping Jacks, and the more the manager screamed "Sotez !" the more violent became . their grotesque contortions. At last the curtain fell in the- midst of the convulsive laughter of the audience, who surely had never witnessed the like before,